As the leaves fall off the trees and you start to see your breath in the chilly air, you know summer is over and fall has arrived. Throughout fall, the temperature goes down week by week until it is cold enough that you won’t want to leave the comfort of your own home. Although students aren’t able to spend time outside during the end of fall and the winter, there are certainly advantages associated with cold weather.

A drop in temperature may initially seem disappointing to those who love summertime; however, when all the perks of winter are put into perspective, the cold doesn’t seem half as bad. During the winter, students take advantage of getting to wear comfy outfits, skiing and snowboarding at local mountains and spending an enormous amount of time watching Netflix.

Two of the most popular local places to ski and snowboard are at the Liberty Mountain and Whitetail. Although more advanced skiers and snowboarders prefer places like Colorado and Vermont, local mountains like Liberty and Whitetail are no more than an hour and a half drive.
Students like freshman Ethan Cohen prefer the cold weather over the warm because of the opportunity he has to ski on his favorite mountains during the winter. “Winter is the best time of year because I get to go skiing at Whitetail when it gets cold enough. I try to go skiing as often as I can before spring comes around and it becomes too warm to make artificial snow,” Cohen said.

Not all students are talented enough to ski or snowboard on the mountains during the winter, however there are tons of other advantages of the cold. Some students simply prefer the cold weather because of the habitual changes the cold causes one to have. Winter is the season of wearing Timberlands, slippers, comfortable sweatshirts, and binging Netflix shows. The cold weather provides a great opportunity for students like senior Maddy Elster to be able to watch as much TV as they can before it gets warm enough to spend time outside. “I don’t like the winter because of the cold itself but I like it because I get to lay in bed all day watching Netflix without feeling bad about myself. I also get to wear all my fuzzy socks and sweatshirts to warm up,” Elster said.

Although skiing and other winter activities are of utmost importance to some students, other students count the days down until it gets warm again. The summer is a lively time of the year of which students get to celebrate their time off from school outside. Whether it be going to the pool and tanning, taking a road trip to your favorite locations, or going to a local amusement park for the day, summer allows people to enjoy mother nature by spending time outside.

Students like junior Evan Mclaughlin prefer the summer because they feel that there is so much more to do when the weather is warm. “When its cold out, I feel restricted to indoor activities which ultimately makes me more lazy. During summer I can do things like going to the zoo, hiking the Billy Goat Trail, or even just spending those warm nights outside with friends,” Mclaughlin said.